Bioreductions in Multienzymatic One-Pot and Cascade Processes

Multienzymatic processes, which involve the use of two or more enzymes in a defined reaction pathway, are becoming very attractive for the production of many compounds at an industrial level [1-3]. 

Synthetic Methods for Biolo cally Active Molecules Exploring the Potential of Bioreductions, First Edition. Edited by EKsabetta Brenna. 

One-pot processes based on linear multienzymatic reactions are in most cases more easily developed than those based on the orthogonal ones. In fact, they can also be carried out by sequential addition of reagents and/or biocatalysts to the reaction mixture, as long as the process is performed in the same reaction vessel and without isolation of the intermediate products. 

On the contrary, the so-called cascade processes, where all reagents and biocatalysts are present right from the beginning and the different enzymatic reactions proceed simultaneously, require a much more careful selection of the enzymes as well as a fine-tuning of the reaction conditions to achieve optimal compatibility. 

In the case of linear multienzymatic processes, this approach can be chosen to improve the process productivity, for example, by driving reversible reactions to completion or reducing the accumulation of unstable intermediates. 

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